LANSING, Mich. — Michigan’s legislative leaders say they are preparing for a long weekend of negotiations at the state Capitol as they work to finalize a K-12 education budget before Monday’s statutory deadline.
House and Senate leaders, along with the governor’s office, have held a series of closed-door meetings this week in an effort to strike a deal on school funding ahead of the July 1 start to the new fiscal year. The goal: to avoid disruptions for public schools and give local districts financial clarity heading into summer.
“I think the biggest thing we agree on is that we’re going to keep working on the negotiations,” said House Speaker Matt Hall, R-Richland Township. “I’m optimistic we’ll at least be able to announce something by July 1.”
While House and Senate leaders have not released specifics, Hall said the weekend talks will focus on K-12 funding and local road infrastructure. Once those are finalized, lawmakers will shape the rest of the state’s budget around what remains.
“We are seeing a budget process that normally takes months to play out,” said Rep. Alabas Farhat, D-Dearborn. “Now you’re seeing it being negotiated here at the end of June.”
The House passed its K-12 proposal two weeks ago, advancing a plan that restructures the way the state distributes school funding. House Republicans are pushing to eliminate some categorical grants in favor of a higher base per-pupil funding amount — a shift that has drawn concern from Senate Democrats and education groups.
“It’s going to be a challenge,” Hall said. “But I’m hopeful that’s still on the table and still possible.”
Though the Legislature is not expected to vote on a final agreement over the weekend, Hall said he hopes to have a framework in place before the deadline.
“Putting a deadline in place and really working hard toward it — I’m optimistic,” Hall said. “We may not be able to vote on it by then because there’s a lot of mechanics and bills and things.”
Lawmakers are scheduled to return to Lansing on Tuesday, leaving less than 24 hours before the budget deadline set by state law.